Munich, 16 May 2011 - Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, today announced that accreditation as a testing laboratory by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) was awarded to the company’s UK subsidiary, BOC. The internationally recognised ISO/IEC17025 accreditation is recognition of the organisation’s exceptionally high level of technical competence achieved in analytical testing and its ability to meet the very stringent standards set by UKAS. The accreditation also represents a significant extension to Linde’s current scope as a gas calibration laboratory.

Linde has had a longstanding accreditation to produce and sell calibration gas mixtures for uses in highly regulated areas such as environmental monitoring, legal metrology and fiscal measurements. The extension to scope as a testing laboratory means the company can now offer customers, not only in the UK, but globally, sampling and testing services for certain aviation and breathing standards including liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen and compressed air.

“We are delighted with this accreditation as a testing laboratory”, said Stephen Harrison, Head of Specialty Gases and Specialty Equipment, Linde Gases Division. “It validates our gas analysis competence to a highly sophisticated level and makes us one of an elite number of organisations to offer this type of gas analytics. Analytical capabilities drive change – resulting in improvements to the quality of the air we breathe, the food we eat and the environment around us. This accreditation reaffirms Linde’s place at the forefront of gas technology and as a pioneer in helping to improve safety and quality of life.”

About The Linde Group

The Linde Gases Division, part of the Linde Group, is a leader in the international industrial and healthcare gases markets, providing compressed, bulk, specialty and medical gases, as well as chemicals to virtually all fields of industry globally. The company adds value to its customers’ businesses through the provision of state-of-the-art application technology, process know-how, services and equipment.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 48,700 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.868 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.